"He's very similar" - Arsenal new boy Jorginho compared to Liverpool superstar after debut against Everton

Former Sunderland defender Michael Gray has compared Arsenal ace Jorginho to Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara after his debut in the Gunners' 1-0 away loss against Everton on Saturday (February 4).

Jorginho, 31, secured a permanent move from Chelsea to Arsenal for a fee of £12 million last month. After ending his five-year spell at the west London side, he signed a deal until June 2024 at the Emirates Stadium.

A right-footed regista blessed with passing and positioning, the Italian was named among the substitutes for the Gunners' Premier League trip to Goodison Park. He replaced Thomas Partey in the 59th minute.

However, just 60 seconds later, Everton scored the decisive goal from a corner-kick routine as James Tarkowski headed past Aaron Ramsdale.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Gray likened Jorginho to Liverpool's Thiago and pointed out that the former is different than Partey. He elaborated:

"A comparison I can give you, Sam, is Thiago for Liverpool. He's very similar in the way that he is fantastic on the ball, he can see a pass. He plays the game at his own pace. But when you haven't got the ball, has he got enough in the legs and the tank to help out the way Arsenal play? He brings a different dimension, he has his own skills and his own qualities. But he's not Thomas Partey."

Jorginho, a one-time UEFA Player of the Year award winner, is expected to provide competition to Partey and Granit Xhaka in Mikel Arteta's preferred 4-2-3-1 setup. He was roped in on the winter transfer deadline day after the Gunners failed to lure Chelsea and Liverpool transfer target Moises Caicedo away from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Prior to his departure, the Hellas Verona academy graduate scored 29 goals and laid out nine assists in 213 overall appearances for Chelsea.

Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale claims Liverpool midfielder gets unnecessarily disrespected

Speaking on The Fellas podcast, Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale stated that Jordan Henderson is an unsung hero. He elaborated:

"He gets so disrespected because he doesn't play all the nice stuff. He runs like 12 kilometres per game, the way he talks to people on the pitch. The things he does do.... like he'll play an unbelievable pass or cross but it won't really get talked about because he's probably just done it once in the game. He's properly underrated at England by the fans, not by the players though. Not at all. They all love him."

Henderson, 32, has come under fire for his lackluster performances for Liverpool in the ongoing 2022-23 season. He has registered one assist in 24 appearances across all competitions for the Anfield outfit so far.